State of Siege - Tom Clancy [82]
Barone had come over. Vandal dropped the passport and rose.
"Is he dead?" Barone asked, nodding toward Georgiev. "It isn't him," Vandal said. ,"What?"
"They got him when he went out," Vandal said. "Made a switch." "Who would have thought they had the cajones?" Barone said. "That could be why the security team came in. They were following their man's lead."
"Very possibly," Vandal said.
Barone shook his head. "If he gives them information about the bank accounts, then even if we get out of here with the money, they'll take it right back."
"Agreed," Vandal said.
"So what do we do?" Barone asked.
"We still have what they want," Vandal said, thinking aloud. "And we still have the means to kill the hostages if the security forces come in again. So I suggest we stick to our plan with two differences."
"What?" Barone asked.
Vandal turned toward the conference table. "We tell them we want cash," he said as he walked forward, "and we speed up the clock." His eyes moved from the empty seat where the girl who ran had been sitting. They settled on Harleigh Hood. There was something about her, something defiant, that hit him wrong. He told Barone to get her.
New York, New York Saturday, 11:51 P.m.
The audio bug in the corridor picked up the shots from the Security Council chamber. The reports were muffled, as were the shouts in the corridor, but it was clear to Paul Hood and the others that one side or the other had made a move. The shouts continued after the gunfire had stopped.
Hood was standing behind Ani. Except for swinging over to a laptop on another desk to try and boost the audio quality, she said-the young agent had stayed at her post. She was calm and very focused. August was standing to Hood's left. Rodgers had removed his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and had pulled a chair from the other desk. He had asked for, and was given, a book of blueprints of the United Nations. Hood had a look at the book over Rodgers's shoulder. The FBI had obviously assembled the blueprints in order to plant primitive eavesdropping devices in structural materials back in the 1940's. Updated notations on the pages suggested that the CIA also used the blueprints to program routes for their mobile bugs.
On the floor near where Rodgers had pulled his chair was an upright canvas case. The zippered bag was open on top, and Hood could see a TACSAT phone inside.
As Hood stood there listening, he heard his cell phone beep. He assumed it was Bob Herbert or Ann Farris with information. Hood slipped the phone from his pocket. Mike Rodgers rose and came over. "Hello?" Hood said. "Paul, it's me." "Sharon," Hood said. Christ, not now, he thought. Rodgers stopped. Hood turned his back to the room. "I'm sorry, hon," Hood said quietly. "I was on my way up to see you when something happened. Something that had to do with Mike."
"He's here?"
"Yes," Hood said. He wasn't really listening to the phone. He was trying to hear what was happening in the Secretariat Building. "Are you holding up okay?" he asked.
"You've got to be kidding," she said. "Paul, I need you." "I know," he said. "Look, we're in the middle of something here. We're trying to get Harleigh and the others out. Can I call you back?"
"Sure, Paul. Just like always." Sharon hung up. Hood felt like he'd been slapped. How could two people be so close one night, then be totally unconnected the next day? But he didn't feel guilty. He felt